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What not to tell an AI chatbot
Chatbots are helpful, but they are not a private diary. Here is what is fine to type, what to keep to yourself, and how to clear old chats.
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A simple rule
Only type what you would be comfortable saying out loud in a public place. Many chatbots save your conversations, and some may use them to improve the service unless you change a setting.
Fine to type
- General questions: “What does a deductible mean?”
- Your general situation: “I am retired and live alone.”
- Your interests: gardening, cooking, travel, a hobby.
- A letter or email you wrote, with names and numbers taken out.
Keep these out
- Passwords, PINs, and the answers to security questions.
- Bank, credit card, and account numbers.
- Your Social Security or Medicare number, or a photo of your ID.
- Your full name together with your address or date of birth.
- Medical records or test results with your name on them. If you need help with one, retype only the part you have a question about.
- Private details about family or friends who have not agreed to it.
Find the privacy settings
Every chatbot is a little different, and menus change often. These steps work for most of them.
- Open the chatbot you use and sign in.
- Tap or click your name or picture. It is usually in a corner of the screen.
- Choose Settings.
- Look for a section with a name like Data controls, Privacy, or Activity.
- Read the setting about whether your chats are used to improve the service. Turn it off if you prefer.
- Look for an option to delete chats. You can usually delete one chat at a time, or all of them.
Some chatbots also offer a temporary or private chat that is not saved to your history. Check each tool’s official help page for the details: ChatGPT help (opens in a new tab) and Gemini help (opens in a new tab). Other chatbots have a Help link in their settings.
Next: practice with 5 safe first questions, or learn how to get help with a bill without sharing private details.
Would you rather have the settings walked through for your own device? Our AI setup kits include the privacy settings we recommend.
From AI Made Simple (ai-made-simple-rust.vercel.app). General information only. Last checked October 21, 2026.